In an HRC statement, President Chad Griffin said, "Tim Cook is a visionary whose leadership of Apple has been nothing short of remarkable," adding:

His willingness to bravely and directly speak his truth has not only given hope to countless people around the world, it has saved lives. Through his example and Apple's commitment to equality, LGBT young people in particular can look to Tim Cook's incredible career and know that there is nothing holding them back. They can dream as big as their minds allow them to, even if they want to be the CEO of one of the world's largest companies.

Cook came out in 2014 with an opinion piece in Bloomberg Business. "For years, I've been open with many people about my sexual orientation. Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way they treat me," he wrote. "While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."

Now, HRC wants to recognize Cook for Apple's role in progressing LGBT rights in the U.S. Among others, the organization noted Apple's part as one of the first major companies to endorse the Equality Act, federal legislation that guaranteed protection to the LGBT community.